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The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 12 inductees in the Class of 2023 to be celebrated during this year’s Enshrinement festivities on August 11-12, which includes Pau Gasol.

Joining Pau as an inductee for this class:

This year’s North American Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):Gene Bess - All-time winningest college coach (1,300), 2-time NJCAA Coach of the YearPau Gasol - 6-time All-Star, 2-time NBA champion, 2002 Rookie of the YearDavid Hixon - 826 wins, 2-time D3 national champion, 2-time D3 Coach of the YearGene Keady – 6-time NCAA Coach of the Year, 17 NCAA Tournament appearancesDirk Nowitzki - 14-time All-Star, 2006-07 MVP, 2011 NBA ChampionTony Parker - 6-time All-Star, 4-time NBA champion, 2007 Finals MVPGregg Popovich - Winningest coach in NBA history, 3-time NBA Coach of the Year, 5-time NBA championDwyane Wade - 13-time All-Star, 3-time NBA champion, 2006 Finals MVP

This year’s Women’s Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):Gary Blair - 852 wins, 2011 National Champion, 2-time Final Four participantBecky Hammon - 6-time WNBA All-Star, 2-time First-Team All-WNBA recipient

This year’s Direct Elect Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):1976 Women’s Olympic Basketball Team (Women’s Veterans) – Silver medalists in inaugural appearance for Women’s Olympic BasketballJim Valvano (Contributor) – 1983 NCAA Champion, created The V Foundation for Cancer Research

PAU GASOL&nbsp;[Player] – The 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year, the first non-American to win the award, garnered six All-Star selections (2006, ’09-11, ’15-16) and four All-NBA team accolades during his 18-year NBA career. Gasol won back-to-back NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009-10 and was the fourth player in league history with 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks. The Barcelona, Spain, native boasted an equally distinguished international career, winning three Olympic medals (silver in 2008, ’12 and bronze in 2016) and, in 2017, became EuroBasket’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing fellow finalist Tony Parker. Gasol also led the Spanish national team to a FIBA World Championship title in 2006, where he was named the competition’s Most Valuable Player, and a EuroBasket tournament crown in 2009 and ’11. He was the highest-scoring player in in the 2004 Olympics and was Spain’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Games. Gasol had his No. 16 retired by the Lakers on March 7.

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Pau Gasol Announced for Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Taylor Geas

—At 95 years old, the longest-tenured employee of the team, and still equipped with one of the sharpest basketball minds, Bill Bertka has agreed to honor the franchise's 75th anniversary season by sharing stories on what he’s seen throughout Lakers History—&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Everyone loves the story about the path to success. We’ve heard the story so many times. The renditions are endless, but still after all this time, it’s never gotten old.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Is it the persistence past failure? The allure of transformation? Is it just the sheer relatability of it all?&nbsp;&nbsp;

When we watch someone succeed, something inside us is provoked— we’re shown that we have it in us to succeed too. Sometimes that provocation is big, sometimes it’s small, but it’s always a beautiful thing to be reminded that it’s there.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The name Dr. Jerry Buss always comes to mind when thinking about the Lakers' success. He was lured to Los Angeles by possibility; the same reason the Lakers traveled west in 1960.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“One of my favorite sayings to use around him was ‘there ain't nothing like winning,’” Bertka said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“There ain't nothing like winning, and he loved to win. Whatever it was. That's why he was a poker player. And when he took the Lakers over. You know, he wanted us to be like the Boston Celtics, win, win, win.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dr. Buss examined every lived experience and found the lesson in it, whether it was from his stepdad having him dig ditches in frozen ground for three hours before school in the middle of a Wyoming winter or his high school science teacher who showed him the value of an education. He didn’t waste his time deciphering the good from the bad in life, everything had value if you could boil it down to the lesson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That’s what I’ve gathered from the stories Coach Bertka has told me too. He made it his life’s work to examine the criteria of success for a team and then he went out to find those missing pieces and devise a plan. Sometimes the team would reach the goal, sometimes they’d fall short. Regardless, Coach would move on to the next game, the next season, the next goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That’s success—carrying on no matter what. Regardless of if you win or lose, pass or fail, what are you going to do next? Unlike most people, they both knew this, and they recognized it in one another.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After every home game at the Forum, Dr. Buss would come down to the locker room. Coach Bertka had a cubicle like the players, and he would be in his cubicle finalizing game notes. Dr. Buss would sit down next to him, and they’d talk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That became sort of a ritual over the years,” Bertka said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I knew he was gonna come down and we were gonna talk, and he always asked a lot of very analytical questions about the game and enjoyed any kind of information you gave him. And it was, it was a nice relationship.”&nbsp;

When the Lakers had their training camp in Hawaii, they’d stay at the Hilton Hotel in Honolulu. Adjacent to the hotel was the Kobe Japanese&nbsp;Steak House and every year they were there, the team would have dinner with Dr. Buss. Just the coaches, the players, and Dr. Buss.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It was one of his favorite events,” Bertka said. “It was for everybody to introduce themself and what they did and what their hopes were for the coming year. And it was a very nice, very nice evening.”&nbsp;

In the 1981-82 season, Pat Riley became the official Head Coach of the Lakers. He asked Bertka to rejoin the team as his assistant. Ten years later, Pat left the Lakers to become Head Coach of the New York Knicks. Bertka stayed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before Riley left, Dr. Buss told him, “Don't worry about Bill. I’ll take care of Bill.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Riley replied, “Bill deserves the best.”&nbsp;

Dr. Buss gave Coach a multi-year contract. “Which for an assistant coach was unheard of,” Coach said. “And he made me the highest paid assistant coach in the league at that time.”&nbsp;

“He was a very, very special man in my life. One of the greatest human beings that I've ever worked with. And certainly, the respect that he gave me, I'll always cherish it, you know?”&nbsp;

Dr. Buss had told Bertka, “you’re one of the best acquisitions I ever made.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 34 years of owning the team, Dr. Buss saw his team go to an astounding 16 NBA Finals and win 10 championships. Now, was Dr. Buss a byproduct of the Lakers or were the Los Angeles Lakers a byproduct of him?&nbsp;&nbsp;

It’s almost as if they found each other and brought out the parts of one another that were needed to succeed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dr. Buss was called unrealistic. And the Lakers, they were just another sports team. But neither of them accepted that.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That’s what the Lakers do to people, they ask you to be more. And Bertka’s been answering the ask for 48 seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We were on top of the world and then we dropped down. Then we came back, then we dropped down,” Coach explained about his time with the team. “It's been like this: success, lose, win, lose, win. And then in the nineties, when Del Harris was Head Coach, that's when we acquired Kobe and Shaq. And I said, well, I just want to see us on top one more time and then I'll maybe I'll retire, you know?”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“So, they got it done,” he said alluding to the three-peat. But he didn’t retire.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And more than 30 years ago, Jerry West, the Lakers General Manager at the time, called Bertka. During the lockout seasons in ’98, ’99, and 2011, Dr. Buss had asked members he trusted among the organization if they’d be willing to take a pay cut until the team was back on their feet. Coach always graciously accepted. When Jerry West called, he told Coach, “‘Dr. Buss wants you to know he's very appreciative of your cooperative spirit, and that when you retire, he's going to give you a Rolls Royce.”&nbsp;

“And you’ve never retired?!” I asked him.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I haven't retired,” he answered.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I’d like to see us back up,” he said.

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The Bertka Files, Volume 6: Dr. Buss

Mike Trudell

During the jersey retirement celebration for Pau Gasol on March 7, the seemingly universal love for the Spaniard as a Laker was palpable, as his No. 16 was raised to the rafters adjacent to his beloved teammate and brother, Kobe Bryant.

The myriad qualities that make Gasol who he is were on full display: his grace; humility; perspective; intelligence; and passion.&nbsp;

“It’s beautiful,” he said during his press conference. “Been so lucky to have enjoyed such a special chapter playing basketball, playing in the NBA, playing for several teams, but obviously the Lakers being a very special one. Tonight, it just – the anticipation, excitement, the honor received, it’s so big to me that it’s gonna be really hard to take in. I have to keep reminding myself it’s a celebration, it’s great, it’s lovely. It’s amazing that you can experience this in your life and have so many people around who have followed you and joined you and been next to you on your journey. So it’s amazing, yes, and all I can say is thank you.”

But make no mistake, the biggest reason Gasol’s jersey was raised into Lakers immortality alongside Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, Worthy and so on is simple: he was an awesome basketball player.

His hoops beginning reads like a movie: a gangly child born in 1980 grew a bit tall for futbol, in a city where F.C. Barcelona’s legend dwarfs all. He started developing basketball skills as he grew and grew, and when he was 12 years old, the greatest basketball players in the world came to his hometown for the 1992 Olympics, with Jordan, Magic and Bird headlining, and Barkley strolling the legendary La Rambla.&nbsp;

Who knows … perhaps Gasol would have reached basketball glory regardless of that additional inspiration; he was blessed with terrific hand-eye coordination, soft hands, agile feet, and a work ethic that allowed rapid growth of a hoops skillset.&nbsp;

“Life goes by pretty fast, right?,” pondered Gasol. “In the blink of an eye, you can be a kid playing basketball in your school with your buddies, then all of a sudden, you’re realizing your dream and becoming a professional, and now you’re trying to get better, trying to be better, trying to prove yourself, trying to keep growing. And now all of a sudden you have a chance to fulfill a bigger dream which was to play in the NBA.”&nbsp;

After being drafted third overall by Memphis in 2002,&nbsp;Gasol spent six-and-a-half seasons there, including one All-Star appearance. Them came a critical day in his, and Lakers, history.&nbsp;On Feb. 1, 2008, L.A. acquired Pau Gasol and a second round pick from Memphis for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol and two future first round picks.&nbsp;

The Lakers promptly made it to the next three NBA Finals, and won championships for the franchise in both 2009 and 2010, as Gasol partnered almost perfectly with Kobe.

“You fulfill that dream and you just keep going, keep going, keep pushing yourself,” Gasol mused. “And now you have a chance to play for the greatest franchise in basketball, and one of the best in sports. All right, and Kobe welcomes you and says, ‘Let’s go out there and win us a ring.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, I’m in.’ And then you’re here, and you get through three straight Finals. It’s hard to take it all in.”

Gasol would finish with six All-Star appearances and make an All-NBA team three times (Second Team in 2011; Third Team in 2009 and 2010), boasting career averages of 17.0 points (50.7 percent field goals), 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.5 steals with 2.2 turnovers in 33.4 minutes per game in his 17 NBA seasons.&nbsp;

All of it ran through his mind as he watched his jersey rise up.

“Tonight, it really exceeds any dream or expectation that I’ve had because it means so much,” he said. “And obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful and powerful, and sad and happy, and painful and joyful. It’s a lot of things. So just really honored to have such a privilege to experience – not that, I’ve done my part, no one gives you recognition for free or anything like that, and I appreciate it a lot, I value it. But it’s been an incredible journey.”&nbsp;

To have his jersey now resting next to Kobe’s is of great significance to Pau.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“He definitely inspired me and showed me what it took to be the best player that he could be,” explained Gasol. “The work ethic, the dedication, the mindset going into it. He challenged me to get better with his actions, with his work … I was in. I was all the way in. I would go as far as he would want me to go. I wanted to win. It was a very special time. Very special years.&nbsp;

“He really elevated me I think as he did with most of the players that we had, all of us. When you’re around a player or person of that caliber that demands excellence of himself and of everybody else, I think that’s something that you want to be around. What I tried to do was complement him; really provide as much as he needed and the team needed at the time. I had to evolve as a player to be better, in order to be that second great player of the team, and I put my mind and effort and heart into it to do that.”&nbsp;

Gasol was also perhaps the most important player in the history of the Spanish National Team, and was named the 2008, 2009 and 2010 European Player of the Year by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Gasol led Spain to the 2006 FIBA World Championships Gold Medal as MVP. He also captained Spain to silver medals in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic games, losing to Kobe’s Team USA. Spain captured its first ever European gold medal at the 2009 Eurobasket championships, where Gasol was again named MVP; they won again in 2011.

“I think (my NBA and international accomplishments are) all unique and special, in a similar but different way,” offered Gasol. “Because the circumstances are different. The environment, the league is different. The competition is different. But I cherish them all.&nbsp;

If he had to isolate one highlight of his career, it was prevailing in a grueling Game 7 of the 2010 Finals against L.A.’s archrival, the Boston Celtics, who’d beaten Gasol and the Lakers in the 2008 Finals. Playing 42 minutes, Gasol scored 19 points, grabbed 18 rebounds – including eight offensive – and added four assists with two blocks for a +7 in an 83-79 battle for the ages.

“It’s just hard to imagine a bigger game,” he said. “I wish we would have won one of the Olympic finals against the U.S. in ’08 or ’12. That would have been nice. And I’m proud of the way we played, the way I played and the way we competed. And the way we made our country proud and how we, I think, inspired as an international country, other countries to do better. That it’s possible to challenge a great U.S. team and have a chance to beat them.”&nbsp;

A beloved teammate on and off the court, Gasol received the 2011-12 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, plus the inaugural Kia Community Assist Award (2011-12) to recognize his ongoing charitable work.&nbsp;

Perhaps it’s fitting that on a night just for him, Gasol was thinking just as much of his teammate, friend, and brother.

“I miss him a lot,” Gasol said of Kobe. “I miss him a lot. There’s nothing I can do about it, but to love his family. That’s how I deal with it.”

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Gasol to the Rafters

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Pau Gasol's Jersey Retirement Press Conference

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Pau Gasol Jersey Retirement 3-7-23

March 7, 2023— His press conference was set to start at 4:30 pm PST, but at about ten past, Pau Gasol graciously walked through the tunnel of the Lakers arena. A walk he’s done a thousand times, a walk that will always be flooded with memories.

Everyone remembers where they were when the Lakers signed Pau because it was a moment that prompted a feeling that doesn't come around too often. It's a moment where you feel with complete conviction that everything is going to change. And it did. He lifted the Lakers, he lifted L.A., he lifted Lakers fans everywhere. And because of that, because of all Pau's done, his jersey's rising up into the rafters.

The 2x champion, 6x All-Star was wearing a navy-blue suit with a light purple undershirt, a dark purple tie, and of course, his two Lakers championship rings and his "Play Gigi's Way" bracelet. He walked with a look of concentration, but if his eyes caught another along his path, a subtle warm grin would appear. &nbsp;

When he arrived at the intersection of the walk-in tunnel and the players' tunnel, his first circle of media for the night swarmed around him. Still, he looked collected and prepared to answer any questions but was quickly ushered to his press room entrance where he took the stage. The room&nbsp;was the same room he celebrated his second championship with the Lakers in 2010.&nbsp;

“And tonight, the anticipation, the excitement, the honor received, it’s so big that it’s been really hard,” Pau said. “I have to keep reminding myself this is great. This is a celebration, this is lovely. It’s amazing that you can experience this in your life and have so many people around you that have followed you, join you and be next to you on&nbsp;your journey. So, it’s amazing guys, all I can say is thank you.”&nbsp;

The press conference was just about twenty minutes, Pau answered the first half of the questions in English and the second half in Spanish. &nbsp;

This perfectly encapsulates the kind of player Pau was, the kind of man he is. Pau is worldly. Pau is special. Like Kobe was&nbsp;a kid from Italy, Pau was a kid from Barcelona. And because he was the first international player on the Lakers to have his jersey retired, there was an influx of Spanish media in the arena tonight. &nbsp;

In attendance were 25 media members from Spain, representing 16 different countries. Movistar, Spain’s telecommunications provider, even broadcasted the Lakers vs. Memphis game live in Spain. &nbsp;

Before the start of the game, a pregame reception&nbsp;was held for Pau—in the same room they toasted Kobe the night of his jersey retirement. The pictures in the frames lining the hallway to the venue were replaced with photos of No. 16 and his teammates. &nbsp;

At just past 5:00 pm PST, the room was calm. Pau was standing there talking with his former Lakers teammate, Josh Powell. Spanish music was playing. Then, he removed himself from the crowd for about twenty minutes. And in an instant, the crowd doubled, then tripled.

The music shifted to Coldplay. Pau loves Coldplay. &nbsp;

Suddenly Pau was back in the room, standing by the door. There was barely any space to move around the room. The crowd didn’t stop growing and the circles that swarmed around him never stopped.&nbsp;The room was full of Lakers legends including Jamaal Wilkes, Byron Scott, Pau’s former Lakers teammates,&nbsp;Metta Sandiford-Artest, Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, his teammates from FC Barcelona, including Juan Carlos Navarro,&nbsp;and all of his friends and family.

It was like a scene out of a wedding where Pau graced each table one after another and captured everyone’s attention even amidst the craziness that stirred in the room. &nbsp;

Pau’s wife, Cat, arrived with his oldest daughter on her hip. She found&nbsp;her dad instantly and started calling his name, waving at him until he saw her and his face lit up with a huge smile. &nbsp;

At 6:45 pm PST, everyone’s attention was directed to a stage in the back of the room. The Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, declared to all, “what a wonderful opportunity to celebrate one of our local heroes.” &nbsp;

After Pau was honored by the city of L.A., he sat center stage. Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, His former assistant coach, Jim Cleamons, and his former Lakers teammates, Dfish, Metta, Sasha, and Powell joined him onstage. &nbsp;

“You are a classic gentleman; you embody all the things I hope my two daughters find in husbands,” Cleamons said. &nbsp;

“Everybody knows you’re the student of the game, the student of life… a champion. Everybody knows he was the missing piece we needed to win those championships,” Sasha said. &nbsp;

“You always bring people together.&nbsp;That’s what you do, you give back.&nbsp;I’m just so happy to be your friend and your brother, thanks for having me here,” Metta said with a huge smile. &nbsp;

“I was not ready for this,” he said collecting himself. “I just wanna say thank you to&nbsp;all of you. And I want my teammates, each and every one of you, to feel that a piece of that jersey going up there is for you, you elevated me.”&nbsp;

Everyone headed downstairs to see the Lakers face the Grizzlies, Pau’s first team in the NBA where he won Rookie of the Year and earned his first All-Star accolade. &nbsp;

Pau and his family stayed behind. About midway through the first quarter cheers began to grow, but nothing was happening on the floor. Then Pau appeared holding his daughter. When the crowd noticed, the Lakers arena gave their No.16 a standing ovation. &nbsp;

After the second quarter, the lights dimmed. Pau and his family took center court, another circle formed around him. A video from Vanessa Bryant appeared on the video board, she introduced Pau. ”Pablo, Kobe predicted it would be you and him in the rafters," Vanessa said. And then a video played of Kobe at the 2018 Oscars, “There’s no debate. When he retires, Pau will have his jersey in the rafters next to mine. The reality is, I don’t win those championships without Pau, the city of L.A. doesn’t have those two championships without Pau Gasol. We know that. Everybody knows that. And I really look forward to the day when he’s there giving his speech at center court in front of all the fans that have supported him over the years. It's going to be an awesome night,” the video played on the screen and ended on a frame of Kobe with his classic Kobe smirk.&nbsp;

It was kind of like time stood still after that. Everyone was holding on to what Kobe had said, because of what it meant, the truth, the accuracy, and because it was Kobe; it was good to see Kobe. &nbsp;

The crowd redirected their attention to the rafters, at the spot next to No. 8 and No. 24. As the black veil started to fall, Pau shook his head in disbelief, and tears started to fall.&nbsp;

“The newest lakers legend, No. 16, the great Pau Gasol,” LT announced to the crowd who were again on their feet. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies, 112-103. A win always lifts Los Angeles, but tonight, something else was doing the lifting as well, nostalgia—the pain from an old wound as they say. It’s more visceral than memory alone, it’s an ache. It’s swift, then it’s slow, fulfilling, and heartbreaking all at once. It’s life.

“Life goes by pretty fast. In the blink of an eye, you can be a kid playing basketball in your school with your buddies. Then all of a sudden you are realizing your dream and you’re becoming professional and then you’re trying to get better, and better, and prove yourself, and trying to keep growing. Then all of a sudden you have a chance to fulfill a bigger dream which was to play in the NBA. And you fulfill that dream. And you keep going, keep going, keep pushing yourself, now you have a chance to play for the greatest franchise in basketball and one of the best in sports, and Kobe welcomes you and says ‘let’s go, let’s go out there and win us a ring’ I’m in. Then you’re here, you get through three straight finals. It’s hard to take it all in. I think I've done as good as I could to embrace it and savor it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation that I've had because it means so much, especially with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful and powerful, and sad, and happy, and painful, and joyful. It’s a lot of things —just truly an honor.”&nbsp;

history

Pau Gasol Announced for Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023

The Bertka Files, Volume 6: Dr. Buss

Gasol to the Rafters

Pau Gasol's Jersey Retirement Press Conference

Pau Gasol Jersey Retirement 3-7-23

Pau Gasol is in the Lakers Rafters Forever

Pau Gasol's Jersey Retirement Ceremony

Photos: Pau Gasol's Jersey Retirement Ceremony